let’s dew it

He'd stuck to his meal prep, kept his portions on lock, and followed the workout regimen Dash had set up for him. But today was finally his cheat day. He had to indulge just a little.

And a supreme was his vice.

The smell of garlic butter and baking dough hung in the air, making the wait feel twice as long.

He shuffled forward with the line, head bobbing to Determinate by Lemonade Mouth playing through his headphones.

Someone stepped up beside him, saying something he couldn't quite make out. Judging by how quickly their lips were moving, they'd been talking for at least a few seconds before he noticed.

Max held up a finger in apology, paused his music, and slipped one earcup off.

the middle duck didn't pay attention to the fact that max had headphones in, all he saw was another member of his family. dewey started speaking rapidly, not realizing that max couldn't hear him. he wasn't saying anything important, just saying hello and starting to chat about his own day. out of everyone he knew, max was one of the only people that knew just about everything that was going on with him.

"me? no, i was talking to hear myself talk." there was no sarcasm in his voice with the quote. "what are you doing?" dewey tilted his head to the side, a smile on his face. "i'm bored."

tommy leant up backwards against the bar, elbows propping him up, and looked on at all the ball there was a slightly smug expression as he lifted a champagne glass to his lips. “man, a guy could get used to a life like this, huh?” he wasn’t originally talking to anyone in particular, but he turned his head to the side to grin at the man beside him nonetheless, lifting his glass toward him.

dewey took a sip of the drink in his hand, looking around the ball. so far he'd been staying away from the dance floor, trying his best to act composed. he did wonder if scrooge was here somewhere because this did seem like an event he'd show up to. but dewey figured he was probably taking the opportunity to count all the gold in his vaults since that was clearly more important to him than his family. "i don't know about that." he didn't want to get used to something like this. it felt like it out him back into social circles he wasn't sure he wanted to be back in.

It had been years since the frightened screams of Elias pierced his ears. Individuals who had no reason to fight but chose to because they loved this city so much, or they simply had no other option. They had been thrust into a magical war they didn't start. A war that never had anything to do with them but left so many to this day mending their wounds. The scene before him played out like a vivid dream. One Jasper tried so hard to forget.

This is what he had feared.

This is what the council had tried to prevent.

In the last year, they had failed the city, and now the cracks were beginning to show.

who was behind this? and was his uncle safe?

"i'm used to other types of chaos," he shrugged. "you don't know chaos until you've got to fight off a bunch of robots that have turned on their programming." or looked for answers to questions that he shouldn't have been looking for. "oh, thanks." he looked at her dress. "your outfit is very pink." dewey wasn't good at figuring out what to say in these situations. "it felt right for the theme." there wasn't much of a theme, people were in all sorts of different outfits. "and of course i wanted to stand out among my siblings." but they all stood out for their own reasons.

Donnie followed Dewey's finger across the ballroom before immediately laughing. "Donald?" He looked back toward Dewey with a grin. "I don't know, I feel like he'd somehow make ballroom dancing look like military strategy. Or he'd tripping over his own feet. Don't tell him I said that."

The thought alone was enough to amuse him. His attention drifted back toward the dance floor, watching another couple spin neatly across the room. "I can see Ella. Aurora too." He nodded thoughtfully. "They're annoyingly graceful. It's like they don't even have to think about where their feet are." Then he looked back at Dewey, one eyebrow lifting. "Hang on." The realization seemed to hit him all at once. "So Huey made you learn how to dance for a badge, which means you can dance. You just don't because your brother monopolized the lead."

A smile spread across his face. "You already know enough to survive a song, and nobody out there is judging...well except for me. They're all too busy trying not to step on each other's feet." The corner of his mouth twitched. "Besides, if it goes terribly, I'll be right here pretending to be an unbiased judge while eating enough dessert for three people. Moral support is one of my many talents."

"they both just have that air, you know. of like people who have been dancing long enough that it's second nature to them or whatever." dewey couldn't say that he could dance all that well unless he was partnered with someone who knew his brain. "i have to constantly think about where my feet were. i mean i got really good at dodging dart traps and acrobatics when we were exploring, but that's entirely different than dancing." he was too spring loaded to sit still for too long. dancing might have been good for him. "well no, i only learned like half the steps." dewey shrugged. "and it wasn't like we really learned anything well."

dewey laughed. "i'm a lot of things, but i will not be dancing tonight. honestly, i'm only here because there's only so much sitting at home i can do before i get really bored." plus it was nice getting to see everyone wearing nice outfits. "i've had too much to eat tonight that the thought of spinning around on the dance floor seems like an awful idea. and i don't have a partner in crime."

Aurora nodded along as the other spoke. Her gaze lifted to the acrobats once more. Their talent was undeniable. She could never imagine herself pulling off such brilliant stunts. Only recently had she taken up the art of sword fighting. It was as far as her intense athletic training went. "You must let her know then so you can perform with them next time! I'm sure she would love to have you." The princess nodded. Her head tilted slightly at what came later. She continued to nod as Dewey spoke. "That's quite alright. You could always become one later if you wanted. The world is full of endless possibilities. That's alright as well! I was too until a few years ago. I decided I wanted to keep myself busy."

he scooped up someone that fell when the crowd decided to start running away from the tree as it stared grabbing people. and the suits of armor were attacking people. it was absolute chaos, carnage. it reminded him of all the times with his uncle, all the adventures he'd been on. but that was supposed to be a lifetime ago. dewey wasn't equipped to handle this alone. he was better as a pair, better with his brothers by his side, better if he and webby were partners in battle. he couldn't find any of them.

the lone duck looked around the room, trying and hoping that he might be able to spot someone he knew, someone helpful. if not, he needed to get out of here and head home. but he was worried that something worse would happen before, that all these people would be left here and get hurt. as much as this scared him and reminded him of the past that he was trying so hard to avoid, this kind of chaos was his comfort zone. dewey took a deep breath, finally making his way toward the nearest vantage point so he could help people, but as he ran he found himself running into something tall. he looked up: jasper.

Leo did everything he could not to sigh from the depths of his soul. It wasn't the first time he had gotten into mayhem; it certainly wouldn't be the last. "How the hell did you eat three dozen?" He was more concerned with Dewey's digestive tract as opposed to magical consequences. "That's a big if, but from the looks of it, it might be." Perhaps it was his own imagination at play, but Leo could've sworn he saw the food sparkling.

These weren't his monkeys, and this wasn't his circus, but ever since he took on the role of leader, Leo had many monkeys to herd. "Yeah, there are a lot of comedians in this place. Instead of spiking the punch, we're enhancing the food. I'm not laughing, but we'll see what happens." Leo would've been mad as hell if something had happened to him tonight.

dewey blinked at the statement. "are there?" he hadn't noticed. he'd been paying more attention to the council members walking around than people potentially enchanting food. "who would even want to do that? maybe you should observe me for a bit, see if anything strange happens." dewey stood perfectly still for about 20 seconds before he started fidgeting. "if anything happens to me, just go straight to my uncle."

so he wasn't paying as much attention as he should. dewey immediately moved off the dress as he heard the voice. he looked down at the dress, sure that he hadn't torn it or something. "sorry!" he looked up. "it didn't tear and there's no dirt from my shoes or anything." he looked at lottie, embarrassed. "i'm not used to these events."

"what research?" dewey asked, perking up as he walked closer to the other. "'cause i'm really good at research. i know all of the ways to find information." or well he asked his brother, but that was the same thing.

The dessert table had become Donnie's unofficial headquarters. Not because he had a particular sweet tooth. Okay... maybe a little because of the sweet tooth. A small plate balanced easily in one hand while the other reached for yet another chocolate-covered strawberry. He'd already decided that whoever catered the Summer Solstice Ball deserved some sort of award. Or at the very least, a raise. His attention drifted back toward the dance floor as another song began. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched a man struggle to keep up with his partner.

He popped the strawberry into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as another couple glided past. Donnie wasn't judging. Well...maybe a little. Ballroom dancing had always fascinated him. There was something satisfying about two people moving so seamlessly together that they hardly seemed to think about it. He'd spent enough time learning to dance with Jasper to recognize good technique when he saw it, though he'd happily keep that little fact to himself. People tended to assume the engineer couldn't dance.He never bothered correcting them. It was funnier that way.

His eyes wandered toward the entrance for what had to be the fifth time in as many minutes before returning to the dancers. Another couple spun across the floor. Donnie nodded approvingly before reaching for a miniature éclair. He thought to himself before finally noticing someone nearby. Without missing a beat, he offered the dessert tray in their direction. "Help me settle an argument with myself." His smile widened. "Who's the best dancer in the room so far? Because I'm keeping score, and I think I've found the current frontrunners."

the desserts table was absolutely stunning. whoever had come up with the decorations in general had good taste. dewey watched as everyone danced around with their partners, the smiles on everyone's faces. he wondered how many of them were dealing with problems like his own or had things worse they were dealing with. elias had so many people dealing with so many different problems. there had to be ways to solve them all at some point.

"easy," he said and then scanned the room for who he was looking for, finding him easily and he pointed. "donald. don't let him tell you otherwise." dewey was joking of course. he actually wasn't sure that he'd ever seen donald dance. "not me. huey was always the lead when he forced me to practice so he could earn his junior woodchuck badge." his tone wasn't bitter. "i'd probably say ella or aurora if i was being serious."

Donald had spent the better part of the evening making his way through the ballroom, exchanging greetings with familiar faces and doing his best to convince himself that the uneasy feeling following him since his return was nothing more than readjusting to being home. His eyes wandered over the crowd again, lingering on council members, old friends, and families enjoying the celebration before finally settling on a familiar sight.

Changing course without much thought, Donald crossed the ballroom until he was standing beside Dewey. He didn't announce himself right away. Instead, he rested one hand lightly against the younger man's shoulder, a simple gesture that had become second nature over the years. "You doing alright?"His gaze drifted briefly back toward the celebration before settling on Dewey again. "I've only been back a day, and everyone keeps telling me to relax." A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Figured checking on you was a better use of my time."

"yeah, i'm doing fine." he glanced at his uncle. "well, do you need to relax?" he figured the answer was probably yes. "nothing is wrong and even if it was, you can handle it." dewey had lots of questions that he wanted to ask, but he'd been holding his tongue. some of them he didn't want to know the answer to because he didn't want to know the answer to it. he'd missed donald while he was away. he looked across the ballroom at all the people dancing with their friends or partners or whatever. "did mom like this kind of thing?"

Leo stood in front of the refreshments table, staring at the person in front of him as if they had grown a second head. "What do you mean this is faerie food?" He was just about to take a gigantic bite of the cupcake in his hand when the server made an offhand comment about the food. "Are we talking magically delicious or should I worry about turning into a giant?" Leo was growing sick of magical mishaps. After being explained, they were made by the fairy godmothers in Elias, and his nerves eased the slightest bit. "Level with me here, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you trust the safety of this food?"

"uh, if it's faerie food.... then probably a zero. that wasn't an option. okay, probably one." dewey looked at leo. "i would hope we're safe unless someone thought it would be funny."

The feeling of a ball was bittersweet for Aurora. The last time she was here, she was dancing in the arms of her beloved Philip. Now she remained on the dance floor, floating in space with no tether. She had gotten used to the feeling. The emptiness, the sadness. Moments like this opened old wounds, but tonight she would persevere as she always did. "I wonder where Minnie found all these acrobats. They're spectacular."

Kate hadn't been paying attention to the exhibit so much as she had been inventing increasingly dramatic backstories for the people in the paintings. This one had definitely poisoned a duke. That one had absolutely faked his own death. The woman in the portrait near the corner? Tax fraud. No evidence - just vibes. So when Dewey suddenly offered her three dollars to abandon the museum, she blinked once and turned toward him with genuine interest. "Three whole dollars?" There was a tsk in the way she shook her head. "You know my friendship costs at least $5..."

She then followed his gaze to the plaque and immediately dissolved into laughter. Not subtle laughter, either. It was the kind she tried and failed to suppress behind her hand. "Oh, no." She pointed directly at the little sign. "Dewey." She attempted, as if she needed to say his name once more for him to lock in. In reality, it was for herself. But, another laugh escaped, breaking up her thoughts for the moment. The petite woman took a deep breath, putting herself back together to finally formulate the thought aloud. "Dewey, you are literally being haunted by nepotism."

The brunette stepped closer to inspect the exhibit, squinting dramatically at the plaque before looking back at him. "You couldn't make this up if you tried." Her gaze then swept across the room. "Imagine being so much of a nepo baby that you can't even visit a museum without running into your family name." Actually, she was close in that but said nothing. Kate placed a hand on his shoulder as though offering genuine support. "You've been very brave about this." She took the opportunity to look at him then, "Very privileged, but very brave." She barely managed to keep a straight face.

Another plaque caught her eye across the gallery, and she immediately pointed. "Oh my God. There he is again." Then another. "Dewey." And another. "DEWEY." She looked back at him, eyes wide - she was horrified. "Is your uncle secretly the museum?" At this point she was fully committed to the bit. "What was your plan exactly? Come here and experience culture?" She gestured wildly around them. "This is your culture." The grin on her face grew impossibly wider, making it known that she was teasing but also that he genuinely opened the can of worms, himself.

"You walked into a building full of your rich relative's stuff and somehow acted surprised." Kate teasingly nudged his shoulder with hers before folding her arms over her chest. "Actually, you know what? Lunch is on you." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Not because you're my friend. But, because I just spent my precious time listening to a nepo baby complain about finding evidence of his inheritance."

She looked around the museum once more before lowering her voice to a quieter volume. "Be honest: How many exhibits do I need to pass before one of the pieces turns out to be something you accidentally broke as a kid?"

when kate burst out into laughter, dewey tried not to roll his eyes. he wasn't embarrassed that a string of people decided to look their direction. honestly, he didn't want the attention, but he also he wasn't going to shy away from it either. "it's not nepotisim," he huffed. honestly, it kind of was. it wasn't his fault that he was born into his family. and besides, he wasn't exactly a fan of being related to scrooge right now. he'd much rather be known for his own adventures, not the ones he joined his uncle on.

"hey now, it's not my name," he pointed out. his family name was different than his great uncle's. dewey let kate go on longer than he probably should have. he was used to being teased by his brothers not someone he was friends with, but then again it was kate and he should have been used to it from her by now. honestly, he should have gone somewhere else because he knew that there were a lot of items that he'd found or helped find within the museum. after all, he'd met milo and spent a lot of time at the museum when he was living with scrooge.

"alright now, you've had your fun." he pointed at her and sighed. "this is not my culture. this is history and that's for everyone." great, now she was making him say stuff that huey would say. "it's not his stuff, kate. it's stuff we found. historical artifacts." except most of it did say on loan. probably wouldn't ever go back to scrooge's manor, yet still he knew that they were still his uncle's assets.

"i don't have a job, kate." he could ask for money, but he was an adult who needed to find his own job. and he wanted to do it without his family's help. "also, you're joking if you think that scrooge is ever going to give any of his money away. he's probably going to be buried with his treasures." dewey was only half joking. he knew every penny in his account.

"i never broke anything as a kid. i mean even if i did, i never admitted it. i always blamed someone else."